Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you

 

 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  

 

And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there in the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. 

 

So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the  one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  

 

And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled. 

 

- Mark 5:1-20 

 

Yesterday we read that, following Christ's preaching in parables, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"

 

  Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. In Christ's time, the city of Gadara was a part of what is known as the Decapolis, a league of ten cities of Hellenistic culture founded in the period of Alexander the Great.  But at this time, under Rome, Gadara was placed under the rule of Herod, the tetrarch of Galilee.  This is a country of mixed Jews and Gentiles, and dominated by Greek and Roman culture, including worship of the emperor.

 

And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  We might pause to notice the entirely chaotic and uncivilized nature of this man with an unclean spirit.   Whatever and whoever this demonic spirit is, it causes him to be uncontrollable, untameable.  He cannot be bound, even with chains, which had often been tried; but he has pulled apart the chains and broken his shackles.  Notably he cannot live in community; he lives in the mountains and in the tombs, among the dead.  Night and day he was crying out and also cutting himself with stones, so we note the self-destructive effects of the demonic afflicting him.  In some sense, he mirrors the chaos of the sea in our previous reading, encountered by the disciples as they crossed over the Sea of Galilee to this place, reflecting traditional images of the chaos and destruction associated with Leviathan.  

 

 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  This man is possessed by a legion of demons, in some sense "occupied" by an invading spiritual army and under attack.  A Roma legion consisted of thousands of soldiers; at Christ's time, approximately 6,000.

 

 Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there in the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.   This violent death of the swine teaches us about the destructive influence of the demons.  My study Bible says that the destruction of the herd reveals several things.  First, while animals are a venerable part of creation, human beings are of far greater value.  Additionally, Jesus removes a source of sin, for swine-herding was an abomination to the Jews (Deuteronomy 14:8).  Moreover, the demons have no power over creation but are instead subject to the will of God.  They can only enter the swine at the command of Christ (and needed His permission).  Finally, we see that people are protected under God's providence.  Otherwise the demon-possessed man would have come to the same end as the swine.  As we will see, the magnitude of the economic loss of the swine will remain as a sign to the hardhearted people who fled (see the following verse).  A steep place (a cliff) often appears in icons to represent the dangers of sin.

 

So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the  one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  My study Bible comments that while there are those who teach the presence of the swine indicates that these are Gentiles, it's more likely that they are Jews catering to the Gentile market in this region, and therefore doing what was forbidden in the Law.  Jesus had forbidden his disciples to go to any but the Jews in this time of His public ministry (Matthew 10:6).  They have traveled across the sea to save this lost sheep (the man who was demon-possessed).  The hard-heartedness of these people show in that their care is only for their economic loss of the swine, and not of the healing of this man who is now sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  They respond by simply pleading for Christ to leave their region.

 

 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.  In Tuesday's reading, we read that Jesus said that "whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother" (Mark 3:34-35).  This man who has been saved from the legion of demons occupying him understandably does not want to stay in this place with the people who care nothing for his healing.  In this sense of Christ's family, he wishes to come with Jesus and the disciples.  But Jesus has a better plan, a mission for him, and sends him out to the Decapolis, this mixed region of Jews and Gentiles, to proclaim the good news of Christ, and give glory to God, to "tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."   And all marveled.

 

 As referenced above, we might very well wonder in the context of today's reading if this forgotten man in the tombs isn't the prime example of Christ's statement when sending out the apostles on their first mission:  "Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  We couple that together with His statement about His own mission:  "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24).  When we combine these with Jesus' parable of the Lost Sheep found in St. Luke's Gospel (Luke 15:4-7), it leads us to consider Christ's determined journey across the Sea of Galilee, and through a terrifying storm, to get to this forsaken place of the man who lived in the tombs.  Perhaps taken in this vein and with these other images from the Gospels and Christ's teachings, today's reading about the Gadarene demoniac, possessed by a legion of demons, might well serve as a powerful illustration of the will of God to save even one lost sheep out of one hundred, and to make every effort, to take every risk, to do so.  We pause to wonder why indeed Christ gave the command (see yesterday's reading, above) to His disciples to sail across the sea through the perilous wind and waves.  Certainly today's reading gives us no clue that the rest of the people who populate the story -- the swineherders and villagers who come to Christ only to ask Him to leave -- are those willing to become His disciples or believers in any way.  They reject Him and beg Him to go; they are only frightened by the exorcism that saved the man possessed by the legion of demons.  In the conclusion to the parable of the Lost Sheep, Jesus tells His listeners that "there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."  Christ's journey across the sea with the disciples to this forlorn man affirms that in the sight of God every effort is worthwhile to save even one.  It tells us of the value of human beings (as my study Bible pointed out, above), and it tells us of our Liberator or Savior, the One who frees this man from his prison among the tombs and held by this legion of demons.  Since today's Gospel reading uses the language of the military, speaking of a legion of "occupying" demons holding this man in spiritual imprisonment, who is literally bound with chains and shackles, it also speaks to us of the spiritual warfare in which our world -- and the souls, hearts, and minds of human beings -- is the battleground.  It assures us that not only is Christ the true Chief Commander of the spiritual world, but that He is also a Deliverer who will spare no effort to rescue us from the things that bind us and imprison us and make us slaves (John 8:34).  Indeed, the world and those who surround us may deter such a journey of liberation at every step, and scoff at Christ's salvation, even reject us when we are healed as do the swineherders and townspeople in today's reading, but nonetheless our salvation is incomparably more valuable than "fitting in" with such neighbors who do not bear our best hope in mind.  Ask any recovering addict, or perhaps those for whom the light of Christ commands any personal change, and we may find a kind of shunning that accompanies such healing.  Let us give thanks for that which is incomparably greater than a neglectful status quo that accepts what ails us as normal, and is frightened by the power of recovery it can't understand.  For we are also told that "the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:5).  There will always be those who prefer the darkness, but Christ will have a new mission, a new life, for each one of His own.  For this is the Lord's compassion, and as far as we know, that is limitless.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region

 

 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region. 

 

- Matthew 8:28–34 

 

Yesterday we read that, when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my Father."  But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."  Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"  But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

 

  When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.  Here Jesus and the disciples, come to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  My study Bible comments that the demons, who recognize Jesus as the Son of God, are surprised that their power is being terminated before the time of the last judgment.  Although the malice of the demons is great, it notes, they can do nothing against the will of God, and so they can only enter the swine at Christ's command.  The immediate destruction of the herd which follows shows that these men had been protected by God's care, otherwise they would have perished under this hostile demonic influence.  Moreover, it reinforces that swineherding was not lawful for the Jews.  Additionally, my study Bible says that this shows the incomparable value of human beings, whose salvation is worth every sacrifice.  

 

 This story of Christ's healing in this strange place on the other side of the Sea of Galilee appears also in the Gospels of St. Luke and St. Mark.  But here in Matthew, there are two, and not one demoniac.  (This phenomenon of two reported in a story in Matthew where one are reported in the other Synoptic Gospels occurs more than once.)  In the other Gospels there are more details, such as that the man responds that his name is "Legion," for there were many demons occupying him.  Also, the man when healed seeks to follow Jesus, but Jesus tells him to go home, and tell his friends what great things the Lord had done for him.  In all cases, however, this is a known Gentile region east of the Sea of Galilee. This is a mixed region of both Jews and Gentiles.  It is assumed that the swineherders are Jews who are cultivating swine to sell to a Gentile market; this would be unlawful according to Jewish law.  It's pointed out elsewhere how the swineherders and the people of the city respond to Jesus:  they want Him gone.  They are terrified, apparently, at the loss of the swine.  But of the men's healing they appear not to care, or at least that comes second in importance, as they simply implore Jesus to depart from their region.  The demon-possessed men had been living in the tombs, estranged from the population, so wild and out of control that no one could pass that way.  One would presume that their relief from such a condition would make a difference, but the people who've lost their herd of swine, and apparently the people in the city, do not consider that in their demands that Jesus leave them.  Perhaps we can look at this story as a kind of parable about what we tolerate in our midst and what we don't.  It might easily be a parable of healing of emotional problems in a modern day setting, in which disruption of established patterns and systems and relationships often takes place for a person to be healed of an addiction or other type of disorder.  So long as the demon-possessed men were away and confined in the tombs, the presence of the demons apparently was tolerated by the town.  As swineherding is also going on near this place, it's a sign that adherence to religious law has also become second-place to what is likely a valuable source of income.  It reminds us, somewhat, of the stories of the Old Testament Jewish kings who violated God's covenant by seeking a kind of syncretic existence, in which the "high places" and altars for the worship of pagan gods were also practiced, such as in the story of Manassah which is also part of today's daily lectionary reading (2 Kings 21:1-18).  It is Jesus who has taught us that one cannot worship God and mammon, but we must choose whom we will serve and be loyal to (see this reading), and we may take this story as an image of ourselves and the choices we make in our lives.  The people from the city make their choice clear when they ask Christ to leave.  Sometimes in our own lives we may have occasion for a kind of exorcism of the things we tolerate so long as they kept out of sight or perhaps just out of mind.  But healing may mean changes, and change can be difficult, even disruptive.  Often when faced with a need for change, it's simply hard to think of having to live in a different way with a different pattern.  But change is always part of repentance.  What or whom we decide to put first will rank our priorities, and what we count as valuable or essential to us.  While as Christians we do not follow the strict prohibitions of the Torah regarding swine, we can nevertheless observe that the exorcism of the demons, and the healing of the possessed men, is not something cherished by these people, who simply see Jesus as a disruptor, for He has disturbed the order of things in this place.  It also teaches us, importantly, to understand that the rejection of Jesus can be within whole communities and towns, as He certainly experienced in His life and ministry, and at His Crucifixion.  Again, in the other versions of this story found in Mark 5:1-20 and Luke 8:26-39, despite Christ's rejection by the local people as a community, Jesus sends out the healed man into the region nevertheless, to proclaim the great things God did for him.  Although this particular version does not have that detail, we can nonetheless understand the place of the healed men, for they know Christ's mercy and power, and they also have a choice before them of the path they will now take.  It tells us of the great importance of our faith -- that to find healing in Christ is to be given a tremendous gift of grace which we must treasure, and do all that we can to shore up and protect, putting our faith in Christ to lead us forward in life.  It is the same for healing of any kind, and the experience of God's grace and help, for we always have these options before us.  Will we stay on the path of healing, or tolerate what we know is detrimental to that?  We will always find temptations in the world and things that tear us away from our faith, as well as the "many" who do not take the path of the narrow gate or narrow way we choose when we follow Christ (Matthew 7:13-14).  But this is a picture of our world, just as Jesus in the wilderness was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-11).  We will always be living in a world in which we face temptations and make choices, one in which evil is present and influences are all around us to give up the struggle for our own healing and wholeness in some way, to abandon the practice of our faith in one way or another.  These men, by their healing, have been called out of the world in this particular sense, just as we who have found faith in Christ and the grace and healing that results in us, must be vigilant to remember God.  It reminds us of Jesus' teaching about an impure spirit, being exorcised, returning to this place and finding it so clean, comes and brings more wicked spirits (Matthew 12:43-45, Luke 11:24-26).  This is a reminder that whatever goodness we cherish and have known from God, we need to remain alert and watchful and to continue forward on the path Christ sets us upon, to fill our hearts and lives with His presence, and live the life to which He guides us.  These two healed men now have choices to make, and a path to follow, as do each of us, all throughout our lives.  Change is not easy or simple, but nonetheless the path is always there.  Let us do our best to remain upon it for even our very lives.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you

 

 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  

 

When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  

 

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.  

 

So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  

 

And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

 

- Mark 5:1–20 

 

Yesterday we read that, when evening had come, Jesus said to the disciples, "Let us cross over to the other side."  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"

 

  Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  The country of the Gadarenes, according to my study Bible, was in Galilee, in an area with many Gentiles living among the Jews.  This man's behavior is the result of demonic influence and demon-possession; we observe that his life and his behavior exemplify chaos, delusion, and self-destruction.

 

 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.   The unclean spirit recognizes Christ, by now a familiar occurrence in St. Mark's Gospel.  Let us note that this comes in response to a command by Christ to come out of the man.  The pitiful state of the man is attributable to a Legion of demons.

 

 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.  The large herd of swine is more evidence of Gentile populations living among the Jews, as swine were considered unclean for Jews.  Once again we note the effect of the demons, to create violent and self-destructive behavior even collectively in the herd of about two thousand swine.  

 

 So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.   My study Bible comments that Gentile influence on the Jews caused many of them to take on Gentile practices, such as raising swine, which was forbidden by Law.  While there are those who say these people, who plead with Christ to depart from their region, are Gentiles, it's more likely they are apostate Jews engaged in a practice forbidden by the Law (see Deuteronomy 14:8).   Note that these people's response to the healing of this formerly demon-possessed man is similar to the cold hard-heartedness of the Pharisees at the healing of the man with the withered hand.  Their concern is with the swine, and the commercial value of what they have lost -- and they respond to the man's healing with fear.  

 

 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.  This shows Jesus' marvelous effect on our lives.  Not only does He heal the man, but because this man can no longer return to where he was, Jesus gives him a new mission in life, and equips him to go home to those who are his friends.  

 

Christ's effect of resurrection in our lives may not always be obvious to us, but it's important to  note and to understand the reality of it at work in today's reading.  If we note this terrible state of the man who is demon-possessed, we can hardly help but understand just how dismal a prospect he was.  Possessed by a self-professed Legion of demons, we might ask ourselves how on earth he would have survived such a predicament.  Indeed, one comment in my study Bible notes that his very survival shows God's care for human beings, as we can see by the death of the swine once the demons enter into them; the man was still in some way protected from such a fate.  According to commentary by Father Stephen De Young, to be demon-possessed in the sense of this man is only possible first through some sort of participation, a form of invitation to this activity, on the part of the man in the first place.  Given the pagan environment of the time and place in our reading, such participation (perhaps in pagan temple worship rituals) would not have been hard to come by.  But this backdrop to the story adds to our understanding of Christ and His mission, and the story of this demon-possessed man.  We might still presume him to be Jewish, and to have participated in things influenced by such practices, just as the raising of swine teaches us about these (presumed) Jews engaging in a practice forbidden by Law but for profit among the Gentiles.  Of course, if they had welcomed the liberation of this demon-possessed man from his Legion of demons, they, too, would be welcome among Christ's followers.  Today's reading foreshadows the coming into the Church of the Gentiles, but it tells us more about Christ's saving work.  We are saved by the power of Christ from what's not good for us, what is destructive and malicious.  But we, also, make choices as to whether or not we participate in the energies of those forces which would perpetuate evil, and be destructive to human beings and even to the life of creation, such as the swine.  We make choices as to what we allow, regarding the things in which we choose to participate, even what we welcome or reject (such as the healing of this man).  Our lives here in the world are in a sense "in the middle" of things we can't see, but among which we nevertheless choose.  Let us carefully align with the beautiful and healthful, and forego a short-term gain for the great things which God offers in their place.  For Christ's power of resurrection is at work in the life of this formerly demon-possessed man, and so it can be also in ours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you

 

 Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?"  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.  

Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that he would permit them to enter them.  And He permitted them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.  And he got into the boat and returned.

 

Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.  

 

- Luke 8:26–39 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.  For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.  Therefore take heed how you hear.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him." Then His mother and brothers came to  Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.  And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."  But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."  Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples.  And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."  And they launched out.  But as they sailed He fell asleep.  And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.  And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.  And they ceased, and there was a calm.  But He said to them, "Where is your faith?"  And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be?  For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!"

 

  Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?"  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.   The demons recognize Jesus as the Son of the Most High God.  Once again, the Gospel has thrust us into an opening in which we view the "unseen warfare" going on all the time in our world, with human beings as the battleground.  This unfortunate man is occupied by a legion of demons, language suggestive of the political occupation of Israel but teaching us about the "strong man" whom Jesus has come into the world to overthrow (see Luke 11:20-22).  We see evidence of the enslaving, destructive, and torturous nature of the demonic influence, the realm opposed to Jesus, in the description of this afflicted man.

 

 Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that he would permit them to enter them.  And He permitted them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.  And he got into the boat and returned.  Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.  My study Bible comments that, although the malice of the demons is great, they can do nothing against the will of God.  Therefore, they can only enter the swine with the permission of Christ.  It notes that the immediate destruction of the herd shows that the man had been protected by God care.  Otherwise, he would have perished under the demonic influence.  It further reinforces that swineherding was not lawful for the Jews, my study Bible comments, and shows the incomparable value of human beings, whose salvation is worth every price.  While there are those who teach that the presence of the swine indicates a Gentile population, this passage would seem to indicate otherwise.  Jesus forbade His disciples to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5), and He Himself was reluctant to seek them out (Matthew 15:24).  These are likely to be Jews engaged in a sinful occupation.  their hardhearted response to the healing of this man seems to be further validation of their irreverent attitude.

 

Let us take a look at the man who's been "relieved" of the affliction of a legion of demons.  The last part of today's reading tells us:  Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.   In some sense, the man has been through a terrible ordeal from which he's been relieved.  It reminds us, perhaps, of a person who has been through the experience of a terrible addiction, years of self-destructive behavior, with his world that of people who know him in this state, find ways to tolerate him, or otherwise live side by side in the same place.  But now that this man is healed and cleared of the demons, the ones who were formerly his "neighbors" in this wilderness of tombs and caves and deserted places away from the city want nothing to do with him.  For he in his "right mind" and in his healed state, is a symbol of the effects of Jesus, who has also sent the legion of demons into their swine.  For the swineherders of this region, the loss of their property is a far more distasteful experience than any good news of this man's healing could cover.  They've made their choices, and just as they sought an occupation sinful in the eyes of Jews for a lucrative Gentile market, so they choose again that the power of God working to relieve a man of a legion of demons is not what they want anything to do with if it threatens their livelihood by which they profit handsomely.  They have made their choice for money over the values of their faith, and now over the direct act of the Messiah.  The healed man understands this and knows that his former habitation is no place for him to remain.  Like an addict seeking to be freed of a life of addiction, he no longer fits where he was and must find a new life, and new company.  But neither does Jesus allow the man to continue with Him and with the apostles.  Instead, Jesus finds the healed man the right occupation, and gives him a new path to pursue.  He's told, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."   This is, in fact, a strong indication of Christ's work on us when we come to a kind of dead end -- when we can't go on the way we were, need to change, and to find a new life, so to speak, a new direction.   It is Christ who will give us direction, a new place we can't necessarily create of ourselves, for God's perspective is so much greater than ours is.  There are times when God will give us inspiration beyond what we could have planned or even the alternatives we can see, just like with this healed man, to whom Jesus gives a great new job -- and sends home with glorious good news.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country

 

 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had so often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. 

 

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there in the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.  So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  

 

And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

 

- Mark 5:1-20 

 

Yesterday we read that, after Jesus had been preaching in parables, on the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"

 

  Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.   My study Bible comments that the country of the Gadarenes was in Galilee, an area of many Gentiles living among the Jews. 

 

And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had so often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  Let us note the signs of this man's terrible affliction, an occupation by a legion of demons.   He can't be bound, and has a kind of superhuman strength, even pulling apart his chains, and breaking his shackles in pieces.  He's a picture of chaos, and cannot be tamed.  He cannot live in community but among the dead in the tombs, nor can he live a healthy life, constantly crying out and cutting himself with stones.  He has no rest from this, night and day.  But nevertheless, there remains a part of this man who runs to Christ for help, for when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.

 

And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. My study Bible comments that these demons recognize Jesus as Son of the Most High God.  Note how this legion of demons do not want to be sent out of the country. 

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there in the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.  In this region of mixed populations, Gentile influence caused many Jews to take on Gentile practices, such as raising swine, which was forbidden by the Law (Deuteronomy 14:8).  Perhaps they raise swine for the Gentile market, a lucrative practice.  My study Bible comments that, although some teach that the presence of the swine indicates these are Gentiles, we know that the Lord forbade His disciples to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5) and was Himself reluctant to seek out the Gentiles (Matthew 15:24), so it is more likely these are Jews engaged in what is for them a sinful occupation.  My study Bible comments that although the malice of these demons is great (for we observed the torment of this man), they can do nothing against the will of God.  So they can only enter the swine at the command of Christ.  It notes that the immediate destruction of this herd shows that the man had been protected by God's care, otherwise he would have perished under the demonic influence.  It also reinforces that swineherding was unlawful for the Jews, and shows the incomparable value of human beings, whose salvation is worth every sacrifice.  

  So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  Again, emphasizing the lack of response to faith in these people, we see that they care far more for their swine than for this man and the remarkable healing of a human being.  They respond simply with fear, and plead with Jesus to depart from their region.  They want nothing to do with Him.  They care only for the swine they have lost.

And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.  Clearly we can understand how this formerly demon-possessed man does not want to remain in this region, where he's been plagued by demons, and in which the people care more for their swine than for the healing of a human being.  Moreover, the people here have rejected Christ.  But Jesus has an alternate plan for him:  He will go home to his friends, tell them what great things the Lord has done for him -- and he began to proclaim in Decapolis, a place of both Gentiles and Jews, all that Jesus had done for him, so they all marveled.  

I marvel myself at today's story, because one is able to find so many things of value in it.  One thing we might note in today's reading is that much seems to be connected to place.  The demons beg not to be sent out of the country.  The demons don't want to leave this place; it seems they've found a home here.  The people of this area, the swine-herders, reject Jesus as a community, and plead with Him to depart from their region.   There is a kind of effect to the story that seems to suggest there is more that happens with such an occurrence than meets the eye, that the place itself may become somehow tainted by bad influence and the lack of faith that invites or accepts such influence, even rejecting Christ.  This is seen in the Old Testament Scriptures, as the land is depicted as a gift from God, and responds with fruitfulness or not depending on the people's faithfulness or rejection of God.  This seems to be especially clear in the story of the Promised Land (see Leviticus 26:3-5; Deuteronomy 11:26-28; 2 Chronicles 7:14).  In Christian tradition, home blessings remain a regular part of Orthodox Christian practice, and to sprinkle holy water in places of growing things such as gardens and agricultural produce is very common.  This author can attest to the effects I seem to have observed upon my own gardens over time.  While in a very secular modern context, we seem to treat land as something neutral, which our own plans and construction can turn into whatever we want, certainly place in the context of the Scriptures is something that is responsive in the way human life is responsive to spiritual faithfulness or the lack of it.  We've all heard stories of haunted houses, and seemingly haunted places such as battlegrounds where terrible deaths and killing have taken place, and we may take that as we might.  Nonetheless, the reality of faithfulness becomes part of the story of the Scriptures, and its effect upon the land we inhabit and cultivate.  This tells us a special story about the connectedness of all things, but not external to the centrality of God and our faith and our living of that faith.  We can picture the life in the Garden we're given of our earliest ancestors, in which all things are in communion under faithfulness to God, and the effects of sin on that peaceful and productive life.  So, for today, let us consider how "place" is not a neutral concept, but is also a part of how our lives become changed and challenged by our faithful living -- or the lack of it.  What do we tolerate and what do we want to send away from us?  Do we see people in our lives like this demon-possessed man, and what do we think forms part of the healing solution to these problems?  Do we turn to God for order out of chaos when we experience such unbalances in one way or another in any aspect of our lives?  Let us consider more than simply ourselves and our bodies within the limited concept of life that we think we inhabit and in which we practice our faith, for life is much more to us than that.  Let us observe that, according to the Scriptures, God places human beings in the world to tend and to keep the garden -- and all in it -- which God has created and given to us (Genesis 2).  We are to be like God, setting things in order and making them fruitful, learning from our faithfulness and growing in God's likeness.  But the first sin changes everything, and even the ground becomes cursed; effects on human life are shaped through that as well (Genesis 3).  So let us consider the power of faith and all the things of which life consists, for under God we are part of the whole and there is nothing left out.  Yet, even so, that interconnectedness and its state also depends upon how we live in relationship to God, not simply upon our own constructs and theories.  How do you treat a gift such as this? 

Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you

 

 Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?"  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.  

 

Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them.  And He permitted them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  

 

When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.  And He got into the boat and returned.  Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

 

- Luke 8:26–39 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus taught, "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.  For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.  Therefore take heed how you hear.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him."  Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.  And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."  But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."  Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples.  And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."  And they launched out.  But as they sailed He fell asleep.  And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.  And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, master, we are perishing!"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.  And they ceased, and there was a calm.  But He said to them, "Where is your faith?"  And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be?  For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!"

 

  Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?"  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.  My study Bible comments that these demons recognize Jesus as the Son of the Most High God.  Notice that the demons speak through the man, saying, "I beg You, do not torment me!" when clearly this man, occupied by a legion of demons, is tormented by them himself.  A Roman legion consisted of over 5,000 men divided into ten cohorts, so we can imagine what this name "Legion" meant at the time the Gospels were written -- at a time when the Roman Empire had expanded to its largest extent.  The text describes the man's torment under this legion of demons:  it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.   His life is in such a miserable isolated state that he wore no clothes and lived among the dead in the tombs.  

Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them.  And He permitted them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  My study Bible comments that, although the malice of these demons is great, they can do nothing against the will of God.  Therefore, they can only enter the herd of many swine if Christ permitted them.  The immediate destruction of these swine, my study Bible says, shows that the man had been protected by God's care.  Otherwise, he would have perished under the demonic influence.  Additionally, it reinforces that swineherding was not lawful for the Jews -- plus it shows the incomparable vale of human beings, whose salvation is worth every sacrifice.  There are those who say that the presence of the swine indicates a Gentile population.  But, my study Bible comments, since our Lord forbade His disciples to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5) and was Himself reluctant to seek out the Gentiles (Matthew 15:24), it's likely that these were Jews engaged in a sinful occupation.  

 

When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.  And He got into the boat and returned.  Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.    My study Bible comments that the magnitude of the economic loss of the herd of swine would remain as a sign for the hard-hearted people who fled the region.  Their response is simply to treat Jesus with great fear, clearly caring more for their economic loss rather than the marvelous healing of this man who had suffered so extremely.  Note that although this man has no community among these people who simply want to banish Jesus, Christ Himself appoints a place for him, and a good mission:  "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And so he did.

Lately I have been reading a lot and pondering quite a bit over the idea of giving thanks.  How important is gratitude in our lives?  Some say that the whole of our well-being depends upon how able we are to give thanks, or not.  How do we experience gratitude, and what are we grateful for?  Is it possible that without his horrible "occupation" by a legion of demons, this man never would have known Christ?  It's very strange indeed how Christ comes straight across the Sea of Galilee, and through a very frightening storm of wind and waves in which the disciples thought they were perishing, to come to this one man.  What loneliness it must have been, living among the tombs, unable even to wear clothes, and tormented night and day by a legion of demons!  It is almost a metaphorical image of a child subject to terrible abuse, the isolation and torment that he would have survived.  Certainly the "hard-hearted" (as my study Bible describes them) people around him cared little that he was cured, finding the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.   They had no use for him, but the swine were their livelihood (likely Jews selling to a Gentile market in this region of mixed populations), and that's what they cared about.   So this man is saved, but wants to go on with Jesus, because there is seemingly no tie for him here where people do not care for his life and salvation.  It seems they were happier when he lived among the dead and with the daily terrible punishment and torment of the demons.  But Jesus finds a place for him, an honored place -- he becomes a kind of evangelist under Christ's direction.  This is the saving nature of Christ's command, which brings this man beyond the lack of mercy of such people, and under Christ's authority,  "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  So he does:  and he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.   A good mission, a good identity, under the saving yoke of Christ, who is gentle and lowly in heart.  Indeed, we may presume that sooner or later, he will come under the care of the Church to come, and remain a disciple.  Surely we can imagine the gratitude this man feels to Christ, who singled him out enough to come across the sea to save him.  But what of his early life experiences?  Perhaps to find this singular place in the Gospels, a man who had demons for a long time, and who survived to tell of the great things Jesus had done for him, the first from his region to proclaim this good news, experienced a tragic beginning.  For some of us who have survived harmful things, this may be the best story of all, and with the best outcome -- the truth of Christ's saving redemption from the callous to a life of dedication and mission and belonging, to the unique identity only He can give.  

 

If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine

 

 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region. 

 

- Matthew 8:28–34 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.  Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then another if His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."  Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"  But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

 

  When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.  My study Bible comments that the demons, who recognize Jesus as the Son of God, are surprised that their power is being terminated before the time of the last judgment.  Although the malice of the demons is great, they can do nothing against the will of God.  So, therefore, they can only enter the swine at the command of Christ.  The immediate destruction of the herd is evidence that these men had been protected by God's care.  Otherwise, they surely would have perished under this hostile demonic influence.  Also, my study Bible adds, this reinforces that swineherding was not lawful for Jews, and it shows the incomparable value of human beings, whose salvation is worth every sacrifice.  

This story (and the similar stories in Mark and Luke) remind me of the ancient myths found in the Odyssey or the stories of Jason.  The disciples were told by Jesus to set sail across the Sea of Galilee, which immediately plunges them into a kind of frightening adventure, in which they fear they are perishing (see yesterday's reading, above).  All this takes place while Jesus is asleep in the boat, and let us keep in mind that several of these men are seasoned fishermen, whose livelihoods were pursued on the Sea of Galilee.  But then once they arrive at this strange place on the other side of the sea (considered to be east of the Sea of Galilee, and in Gentile territory), they encounter an even stranger and perhaps terrifying sight.  In the Gospels of Saints Mark and Luke, the demon-possessed is a single man, but he is possessed by a legion of demons, and therefore gives his name as Legion.  Here, we are told these are two demon-possessed men who are rendered so exceedingly fierce that no one could pass that way.  Like the stories in Mark and Luke, they live among the tombs in this seemingly forsaken place, as they are out of control and disordered, and so unable to live in community with the living.  This is also Gentile territory, in a place of mixed Gentile and Jewish populations.  So while it might be common to assume the swineherders are Gentiles, it's suggested that possibly it is more likely they are Jews engaged in what for them is a sinful pursuit of raising swine in order to sell to the Gentile market.  Thus, when they beg Christ to leave their territory, they continue in such choices, as their preference is for their swine to the men who are now freed from demonic possession and influence.  In this sense, this story can be viewed as an illustration of the choice between God and mammon; their longing is for the material gain they've lost over the miraculous healing Jesus has effected.  For their focus on the loss of their swine, they are unable to receive Christ and what He offers.  In the stories in Mark and Luke, the healed man seeks to come and follow Jesus and enter into the boat with the disciples.  But Christ sends him back to his home, to tell his friends what great things the Lord has done for him.  Perhaps one important thing we can take away from this story today is noticing the lack of gratitude in these townspeople for the miraculous healing they've witnessed.  It's as if they prefer the demonic influence, which is what they are used to -- even such an influence of violence and destruction that would cause the swine to crash down a cliff into the sea, as well as one that kept these men from being able to dwell among the living and fit only to live among the tombs.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus preached that we cannot serve God and mammon (riches): "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon" (see this reading).  The Sermon on the Mount was a full teaching on what are the blessings of the Kingdom.  Perhaps in light of this story and that Sermon we have so recently read through, we should consider for ourselves the things for which we're grateful.  Do we value the blessings of the Kingdom?  Or has life taken on for us a supreme importance of material things which we think will make us happy, or give us some kind of status among others that we value?  Is it blessed to please God, do we find joy in that?  Let us consider the choices we have before us, and what real healing and "life" might look like, even when that is contrary to expectations or desires. Sometimes healing means going away from what we know, separating from what we're used to but is not good for us.   We might pause to consider that the word "swine" has often been used as an epithet for a very coarse, brutish, and cruel person.  Such may be fitting company for the demonic, but not for those who love Christ.  Let us also note that in a world permeated with sin and evil, Christ finds us where we are, and works with us where we are.  This is most exemplified in today's reading in the demon-possessed men, for whom Jesus has apparently crossed the Sea of Galilee with His disciples in a threatening storm.  In the other Synoptic Gospels, Jesus gave the now demon-free man a particular job to do, and a place to go (home among his own people).  Let us be assured that even when we need to separate from what we've known, He will find a place among "our" people for us as well (Mark 10:29-30). 

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you

 

 "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.  Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

 

- Matthew 7:1–12 

 

In our present readings, we are going through the Sermon on the Mount.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  So why do you worry about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For after all these things the Gentiles seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." 

 

  "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."  My study Bible comments that we will be judged with our own level of judgment because we are guilty of the same things we judge in others (Romans 2:1).  That is, we have also failed in repentance and in fleeing from sin.  It notes that to pass judgment is to assume the authority of God.  The second part of this verse is found also in Mark 4:24 and Luke 6:38, each in a different context, as Jesus no doubt repeated this message many times.  

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."  This is a continuation of Christ's teaching in the previous verse, but with more specifics.  Note how it continues on themes of the "eye" -- and whether or not our eye is "full of light" (Matthew 6:22-23).  Here the plank in one's own eye is that which obstructs true vision.  But Christ is speaking of our own faults and flaws we need to correct, and our "blind eye" toward ourselves.  Moreover, Jesus will recommend mutual correction in the Church.  But how can one become a true  brother and teach others when we have failed to implement our own correction or repentance?

"Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."  My study Bible says that dogs and swine refer to heathen peoples (Philippians 3:2; Revelation 22:15), but this would also include Jews who do not practice virtue.  According to patristic commentary, "dogs" here is meant to apply to those so immersed in evil that they show no hope of change, and "swine" are images of those who habitually live immoral and impure lives.  The pearls are the inner mysteries of the Christian faith, including the teachings of Christ (Matthew 13:46) and the great sacraments.  My study Bible says that these holy things are restricted from the immoral and unrepentant, not to protect the holy things themselves, for Christ needs no protection.  Instead, we protect those who are faithless from the condemnation that would result from holding God's mysteries in contempt.  Let us also note the context of mutual correction which Jesus discusses above:  while humble correction or teaching can be helpful and instructive, it is wasted on those who cannot value it, who may even in fact respond with vicious hostility.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?"  My study Bible explains that the verbs ask, seek, and knock are present progressives.  That is, they convey the teaching that we should "be asking," "be seeking," "be knocking."  There is a synergy here:  our effort is commanded, but not apart from God's immediate help to us.  My study Bible says that we ask in prayer; seek by learning God's truth; and knock by doing God's will.  

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"  My study Bible comments that Jesus calls human beings evil not in order to condemn the whole human race, but rather to contrast the imperfect goodness that is in people (in other words, our goodness is also mingled with sin) with the perfect goodness of God (see Matthew 19:16-17).  If imperfect and even wicked people can do some good, it notes, all the more will God work perfect good.

"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."  This is known as the "Golden Rule," and it fulfills the demands of the Law and the Prophets.  As my study Bible importantly notes, it is a practical application of the commandment to love one's neighbor as oneself (Matthew 22:39-40).  This is, it says, a first step in spiritual growth.  The negative form of the Golden Rule was well known in Judaism ("Don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you").  Christ's form is positive:  this is the action that begins to draw us toward God. 

In chapter 18 of St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus lays out a model for mutual correction in the Church (see Matthew 18:15-17); it's a teaching for what to do with a sinning brother, particularly one who has caused offense.  It's given in the context of Christ's teaching on forgiveness.  When Jesus teaches today that, first, we must not judge, and second we must correct our own flaws before we can helpfully teach others, we see an overarching context of mutual correction or edification, which includes constructive criticism -- and must always be done with love and mercy.  In St. Luke's Gospel, we find the similar teaching of the Golden Rule, "And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise" (Luke 6:31).  On that passage, St. Cyril of Alexandria calls "the natural law of self-love" the basic standard of how we're to treat others.  As Christians, the entirety of today's passage conveys, we're meant to be continually growing.  This is, in effect, the purpose of discipleship.  As Jesus teaches us also to "keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking," He's implying also a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and for the things of God.  For these are the mysteries into which discipleship initiates us and continues to take us more deeply.  To understand one's own errors and make correction is to become capable of helping or teaching others along the way.  But without that effort, we simply judge; we are not practicing mercy, love, or the Golden Rule.  For indeed, if we would desire to excel in real discipleship to Christ, then we might understand how to help others who desire the same thing.  But we shouldn't presume to cast those pearls before people who find no value in such discipleship, as Christ warns us here.  So our growth must be seeded with mercy and kindness, our conduct so -- but the righteousness and love Christ teaches is also meant to be discerning.  It is quite similar to His teaching to the apostles upon sending them out on their first mission:  "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16).  Let us keep asking, seeking, and knocking to grow in learning Christ's ways of loving righteousness, and in those "good things" God will give to us.